Department for Transport

British Airways and Easyjet: Repayments

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings by Which?that British Airways and Easyjet had required customers to accept vouchers rather than refunds when they were unable to fly because of COVID-19 restrictions; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that those airlines adopt procedures that make it easy for customers to claim refunds.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has been clear that airlines and travel agents should not deny consumers their legal right to a refund, if it is requested and this should be done in a timely manner. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) undertook a review of the refund policies of all UK airlines, as well as a number of international airlines that operate flights to and from the UK. The CAA has utilised this review to influence airlines to change their processes and practices in order to improve performance in providing refunds. The CAA’s actions have led to an improved quality of service and performance from most airlines. The CAA continues to work with carriers on the issue of refunds, while recognising the challenges businesses are facing.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction: Employment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of construction employment rates; and what plans they have to increase construction apprenticeship schemes.

Lord Callanan: The Government is committed to supporting apprentices and their employers to continue to build the skills capabilities the UK will need in the long term. On 8 July, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that employers taking on new apprentices will receive an extra £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under 25, or £1500 for new apprentices above that age. This is in addition to the existing £1,000 grants for each 16 to 18-year-old apprentice taken on. On 1 June, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) published its Industry Recovery Plan. Employment and skills in the construction sector are identified as a priority, and a focus of the ‘Restart’ phase of the Plan is to maximise employment opportunities. Apprenticeships, and how the construction sector maintains and takes on future apprentices, is a crucial part of this, and it is at the forefront of the CLC’s agenda. The Government has welcomed the Plan and is collaborating with the CLC and industry to ensure that the proposals are implemented.

Department of Health and Social Care

Brain Cancer: Research

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage an increase in research into brain tumours.

Lord Bethell: In 2018 the Government announced £40 million over five years for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is taking action to help researchers develop high-quality research proposals in this scientifically challenging area. To encourage such proposals, we released a public announcement to the research community in April 2018, which makes clear our desire to receive brain tumour research funding applications. This led to an immediate increase in proposals, which continues to be assessed by relevant review panels of scientific experts. We are relying on researchers to submit research proposals in this difficult area of research.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell (HL5829) on 21 October, what was the cost of using laboratory facilities in the USA for processing the 66,648 tests; which company or companies were used in sending those tests to the USA; what percentage of tests processed in the USA yielded usable data; and what impact the additional time in sending tests to the USA had on NHS test and trace services.

Lord Bethell: The information is not held in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 20 July (HL5350), how many COVID-19 tests have been sent by post and subsequently returned to laboratories, for each day since the scheme began; and how many of the tests sent by post have been discounted because swabbed material was not collected correctly.

Lord Bethell: The information is not collected in the format requested.

Department for Education

Care Leavers: ICT

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the scheme, introduced in May,that provided access to laptops and the internet to care leavers and other vulnerable childrento ensure that such children can access vital employment opportunities and remain digitally connected, active citizens.

Baroness Berridge: The department has invested over £195 million to support remote education through laptops and tablets, internet provision, online education platforms and peer-to-peer support for schools using education technology.In addition to over 220,000 laptops and tablets delivered during the summer term for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access, we have supplemented this support by making an additional 340,000 laptops and tablets available in the event that face-to-face education is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions. Since September, over 100,000 of these have already been delivered to schools. This represents an injection of half-a-million devices by the end of the year. We have also provided over 51,000 4G wireless routers to support disadvantaged children to access remote education and vital social care services.Laptops, tablets and routers are owned by the local authority, academy trust or school who can lend unused laptops, tablets and routers to children and young people who need them most, and who may face disruption to face-to-face education due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The targeting of laptops and tablets through this scheme has continually been reviewed to ensure that support is offered in the most effective way to reflect the numbers of schools disrupted and the number of laptops and tablets available at any time.We are working with mobile network operators to provide temporary access to free additional data, offering families flexibility to access the resources that they need the most. As part of a pilot, disadvantaged families have been able to access a free mobile data uplift for this term. We are also working with mobile operators to provide a national service until the end of the academic year. We will continue to invite a range of mobile providers to support the offer.

Children in Care

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the total population was ever in local authority care as children.

Baroness Berridge: The information requested is not held by the department.Information of the current number of children in care, as a proportion of the child population, is published in table A1 of the statistical release ‘National tables: children Looked after in England including adoption 2018 to 19’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019.Figures for the reporting year ending 31 March 2020 will be published later this year.

Schools: Coronavirus

Baroness Clark of Kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case forextending school Christmas breaks to assist in containing the spread of COVID-19; and what plans, if any, they have to introduce such an extension.

Baroness Berridge: The government continues to prioritise the wellbeing and long-term futures of our children and young people. It remains very important for children to continue attending school, to support their wellbeing and education, and help working parents and guardians. Senior clinicians still advise that school is the best place for children to be, and schools have implemented a range of protective measures to make them safe. We therefore do not have plans to ask schools to change their Christmas holidays, or close early this term.

Education: Assessments

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for universities and schools in England aligning end-of-year assessment plans with the rest of the UK.

Baroness Berridge: We have been working closely with all the devolved administrations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak on all decisions relating to exams and qualifications, reflecting the differing educational systems of each country. We will continue to do so in preparing for the challenges of exams in 2021.As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own assessment arrangements.

Industry: Carbon Emissions

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Berridge on 15 October (HL8661), with how many employers in the 'green economy' they are working to design and deliver policies and programmes.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Berridge on 15 October (HL8661), what are the names of the employers in the 'green economy' whom they are working with to design and deliver policies and programmes.

Baroness Berridge: Employer engagement is key to our work in helping shape future policies and programmes. The new Green Jobs Taskforce which was launched on 12 November has been set up to help the UK build back greener and deliver the skilled workforce needed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This is a joint initiative between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Education.Working with employers and relevant stakeholders, the Taskforce will develop an action plan to support 2 million good quality, green jobs and the skills needed by 2030, and so support the UK to transition to a net zero economy and deliver a green recovery.Two of the key aims of the Taskforce are to identify the skills needed to deliver near-term green recovery projects and build a pipeline of talent for the net zero workforce.Taskforce members will represent views of businesses, employees and the skills sector. Involvement in this work will not be limited only to Taskforce members, and there will be opportunities for a wider set of stakeholders to contribute.Details of the Taskforce including a full list of members can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-launches-taskforce-to-support-drive-for-2-million-green-jobs-by-2030.Alongside this, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is convening a Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel to guide the Institute in encouraging employers involved in trailblazer groups (that agree the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be required for individual apprenticeships) to align apprenticeships to net zero and wider sustainability objectives. The panel will include a range of employers with a strong footprint in the green economy. It will identify where existing apprenticeships can directly support skills for green jobs, and where there might be potential to go further or faster.The panel will also crucially identify potential gaps where there is an opportunity to create new green apprenticeships and identify employers who may wish to take forward this work. The Institute is also developing guidance to encourage employers to include sustainable knowledge, skills and behaviours across all apprenticeships whether being newly created or going through the review process.

Apprentices: Wind Power

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprenticeships relating to wind technology they have funded in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, and (5) 2020 to date.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprenticeships relating to oil and gas they have funded in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, and (5) 2020 to date.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprenticeships relating to solar technology they have funded in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, and (5) 2020 to date.

Baroness Berridge: The department has published information on apprenticeship starts by broad industry sector between the 2012/13 and 2018/19 academic years. Data for the 2019/20 academic year will be published in February 2021.Apprenticeship starts relating to wind technology, oil and gas and solar technology are not published separately. However, wind and solar technology are most likely to be included in sector D: Energy Utilities and oil and gas within apprenticeship starts in sector B: Mining, C: Manufacturing or D: Energy Utilities, depending on whether the focus is on the extraction or manufacturing of oil and gas. The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts by broad industry sector since the 2016/17 academic year.Number of apprenticeship starts by industry sector, 2016/17 - 2018/19.Academic year 2015/162016/172017/182018/19Total matched apprenticeship startsSectorA - Agriculture2,5102,1901,5101,490B - Mining170180260220C - Manufacturing36,82036,17026,16026,850D - Energy utilities2,5401,6201,1701,420E - Water utilities1,7401,7601,6201,650F - Construction31,71031,61027,39027,180G - Wholesale and retail trade47,79044,42037,92040,770H - Transportation12,17011,9509,08011,140I - Accommodation/catering32,49027,05018,29018,580J - Information/communication8,9009,41010,45012,000K - Financial services16,15014,66011,87013,700L - Real estate7,8407,9805,7805,970M - Professional/scientific22,46021,13021,71022,970N - Administrative services29,60030,18022,67021,630O - Public administration21,50022,80024,76027,830P - Education33,37033,78028,00030,230Q - Health/social work117,410121,68075,45081,290R - Arts/entertainment11,44012,0308,0108,030S - Other service activities19,67018,69013,10011,900T - Household activities1301507040U - Extraterritorial activitiesccccUnknown6203901,6001,300Source: DfE Apprenticeship starts by industry characteristics 2018/19 official statistics publication.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Health

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners have been granted compassionate release from prison on the grounds of ill-health in each of the last five years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The numbers of prisoners who were granted permanent early release on compassionate grounds due to ill-health in each of the last five calendar years is shown in the following tables. The data is split between prisoners serving determinate and indeterminate sentences, as there are separate policies involved. Determinate Sentenced Prisoners Indeterminate Sentenced PrisonersYearNumber released YearNumber released20159 20150201610 2016220173 20172201815 20181201910 20191Total47 Total6 Under either policy, release is granted only in exceptional circumstances, the primary consideration being that it will not put the public at risk. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 on the support available for people released from prison.

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in ensuring that all prisoners have a place to live on release from prison.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Everyone leaving prison should have somewhere safe and secure to live; accommodation enables offenders to hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them reoffending.The Homeless Reduction Act (HRA) is helping more people to get help earlier, particularly single people who often would not have received help in the past and would have been at risk of sleeping on our streets, including individuals leaving prison. The most recent HRA Experimental Statutory Homelessness Statistics, published by MHCLG in October, show that the National Probation Services made the largest number of homelessness referrals which resulted in an assessment. This was 27% of the total and an increase of almost 118% from April to June 2019. 95% of these resulted in a homelessness duty, which shows the duty to refer is working better for this cohort in the last quarter. In preparation for the new unified probation model, we are developing a policy framework, which will mandate necessary actions to be taken by prisons and probation staff in supporting the duty to refer and strengthen the process.As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice secured £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison and help them to move on to permanent accommodation. The scheme initially ran between 18th May and 31st August and provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation per individual. In light of the recent introduction of national restrictions across England from Thursday 5th November and the Welsh Government’s introduction of a ‘firebreak’, the Government has reinstated this accommodation support. This started from 22nd October 2020 and will be subject to monthly reviews. As part of its initial response, The Ministry of Justice, through Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), set up seven Homelessness Prevention Taskforces (HPTs) to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison; these taskforces continue to be active.In addition, our accommodation pilots, in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol, have been operating since August 2019. By the end of the enrolment period, the 31st July, we had enrolled 323 individuals onto the scheme. Subject to evaluation, we will use the lessons from the pilot to inform future provision of accommodation for all offenders, through the new Probation model.

Prisons: Translation Services

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the UK prisons’ annual budget is allocated (1) to translation, and (2) to interpretation, services within prisons; and how this budget has changed since 2016.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The table below represents data for translation including interpretation services budget, by year since 2016, for Public Sector Prisons in England and Wales including Young Offender Institutions. Financial YearTranslation Budget (including interpretation) £Total Budget £% of Total Budget2016/17729,7441,345,226,2770.052017/18805,8951,418,386,6070.062018/191,777,0001,994,086,0000.092019/201,756,0002,136,784,0000.082020/211,637,0002,218,637,0000.07 To note within the tables:Figures have been extracted from our ledger records.Both translation and interpretation are held under one budget line in our ledgers; it is not possible to provide separate figures. Budget data at this granular level is not available for privately managed prisons. Budget allocations for the translation budget are decided at local prison level according to requirement.

Legal Aid Scheme: Rented Housing

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that legal aid is made available in cases where discrimination is alleged on the grounds of a landlord or letting agency not accepting a tenant on housing or other benefit; and what mechanisms are available to be used by those who have experienced such discrimination to protect their rights.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The scope of legal aid is set out under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. In discrimination cases, legal aid is in scope where there is a breach of the Equality Act 2010, subject to means and merits tests. Legal aid is also available for individuals at risk of homelessness.For matters which do not qualify for legal aid, there are a range of options available to support individuals through the legal process.The Government recognises the key role that charities in the advice sector play to help people with their legal problems and that is why we have recently delivered additional investment of over £5m for not for profit organisations who provide specialist legal advice, such as Law Centres, and a number of other charities. In addition, in partnership with the Access to Justice Foundation, we have launched our £3.1m grant to fund services to help litigants in person dealing with a civil or family law matter. The new grant is designed to fund services provided at local, regional and national levels with the aim of understanding more about how those services can combine to help people. This new grant is in addition to the more than £9m that the MoJ has invested in support for litigants in person, since 2015, through our Litigants in Person Support Strategy.

Immigration: Appeals

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the immigration cases refused for review on the grounds of being without merit have been reported by presiding judges to the Solicitors Regulation Authority; and what proportion of the total number of such cases this represents.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether judges are failing to report solicitors to the Solicitors Regulation Authority; and what steps they are taking in response to any such assessment.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Lord Chief Justice about immigration cases refused for review on the grounds of being without merit where presiding judges have failed to report solicitors to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Following the case of R (Hamid) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWHC 3070 (Admin), the High Court affirmed that it has the power to oversee the conduct of lawyers in immigration cases. The disciplinary process, known as the Hamid jurisdiction, is part of the court and tribunal’s powers to govern its own procedure and to ensure that legal practitioners abide by their duties to the court or tribunal and otherwise conduct themselves according to the proper standards of behaviour. This jurisdiction is engaged when a case is advanced in a professionally improper manner and is not confined to circumstances when the underlying claim is totally without merit, nor restricted to immigration cases.As the Hamid jurisdiction comes within the court and tribunal’s inherent powers, the MoJ does not keep records of referrals made to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. If the Hamid jurisdiction is activated, any court or tribunal orders made in relation to the referral may be published and placed in the public domain and any such publication will include the explanation provided by the legal representative. The judiciary is independent of Government, and the Government has made no such assessment of the use of the jurisdiction.

Solicitors: Misconduct

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many solicitorsthey have reportedto the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for misconduct in immigration cases in the last five years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Under the framework established by the Legal Services Act 2007 the legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of Government, and solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA investigates alleged misconduct and can prosecute serious cases before the independent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The Government has no role in reporting solicitors to the tribunal.

Malik and Malik

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they have taken to cease to fund through legal aid the work of the Malik & Malik who have been found to have filed false asylum claims; and whether they have reported that firm to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much legal aid has been disbursed to those working on the immigration cases that have been refused on the grounds of being without merit in the last five years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Malik & Malik were last issued with a civil legal aid contract in 2007 and did not receive public funding in connection with any of the cases being enquired about. There was accordingly no basis for the Legal Aid Agency to make any referral to the SRA in connection with those matters. As at the time of writing, the firm no longer hold a legal aid contract of any kind.

Immigration: Solicitors

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that UK solicitors are travelling to Calais to offer support to refugees and migrants seeking to reach the UK.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Under the framework established by the Legal Services Act 2007 the legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of Government, and solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The Government has not made any such assessment.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Loujain al-Hathloul

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the case of Loujain al-Hathloul.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the case of Loujain al-Hathloul as part of the G20 Summit in November.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other (1) European, and (2) G20, governments about the case of Loujain al-Hathloul, as part of their participation in the G20 Summit in November.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK participated in the G20 Summit, where the Prime Minister set out his priorities of a coordinated global health response to the pandemic, a sustainable economic recovery, and ambitious action against climate change. As current G20 President, Saudi Arabia played a vital role in delivering a communique agreement on affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.We work closely with international partners who share our human rights concerns. The UK signed a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 September, alongside 28 other countries, which called for the release of all political detainees. The UK, along with other embassies in Saudi Arabia, consistently attempts to attend all trials of women's rights defenders, but have been denied access since October 2018.We have raised concern over the continued detention of women's rights defenders, including Loujain al-Hathloul, at senior levels, including on 16 November by the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

Coronavirus: International Cooperation

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 6 November (HL9853), what outcomes they expect from their contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment; and how any outcomes will be assessed.

Baroness Sugg: The UK has committed up to £548 million for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. The UK expects the contribution to support access to COVID-19 vaccines for up to 92 developing countries by contributing to the supply of 1 billion doses in 2021 (subject to vaccines successfully securing stringent regulatory approvals).FCDO funding agreements with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, set out objectives for UK funding, and are subject to rigorous programme management procedures, including routine financial and results reporting, audits, and annual reviews. For multi-donor funded organisations, including Gavi, the UK is an active participant in governance boards and committees, and works with other donors to set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure strong financial management and reporting.

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations: Finance

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 6 November (HL9853), what outcomes they expect from their financial contribution to the Coalition for Epidemic Prepared Innovations; and howany outcomes will be assessed.

Baroness Sugg: This year, the UK has contributed up to £250 million of UK aid to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop vaccines against emerging epidemic diseases, including COVID-19. We expect this to deliver a portfolio of promising vaccine candidates that take into account the particular contexts, systems, and population needs of people in developing countries, and that people in ODA-eligible countries have access to them as soon as possible.FCDO-funded programmes are subject to rigorous programme management procedures to monitor progress against expected outcomes, including routine financial and results reporting, audits, and annual reviews. For multi-donor funded organisations, including CEPI, the UK is an active participant in governance boards and committees, and works with other donors to set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure strong financial management and reporting.

Department for Work and Pensions

Immigrants: Coronavirus

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether people with no recourse to public funds will be eligible for assistance under (1) the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, and (2) the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The eligibility rules relating to immigration status have not changed. Local authorities can and do use their judgement in assessing what support they may lawfully give those who are ineligible for public funds or housing support, on an individual basis and taking into account their specific needs and circumstances. This includes providing basic safety net support if it is established that there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems, or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question. The £220m Holiday Activities and Food programme will be expanded across England next year. The Department for Education will work closely with local authorities as they prepare for delivery of the programme to begin at Easter. More details about the scheme, including eligibility, will be available over the coming weeks.

Universal Credit: Young People

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many young people classified as not in education, employment or training they estimate are not in receipt of Universal Credit.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not publish statistics on the number of young people classified as not in education, employment or training in receipt of Universal Credit. In their most recent figures The Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimated that there were 765,000 young people (aged 16 to 24 years) in the UK who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in April to June 2020. These figures are publicly available on the ONS website. In June 2020 there were 887,242 people aged 16 to 24 on Universal Credit, of which 628,272 were not in employment and 258,973 were in employment. These figures are publicly available on DWP’s Stat Xplore website.

Kickstart Scheme

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of 16 and 17 year olds who will have their job placements funded by the Kickstart Scheme; and what eligibility restrictions apply, if any, to 16 and 17 year olds who have job placements funded by the scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Kickstart Scheme is making £2 billion available to eligible employers and gateway organisations. As of September 2020 the number of 16-17 year olds on UC was 10,394 and we plan to support those who will benefit into Kickstart job placements. The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Guidance on eligibility has been published on the gov.uk/kickstart website.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Control: Finance

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government by what process local Catchment Partnerships will be able to apply to receive a portion of the £5.2billion funding for flood and coastal defences announced in the Budget on 11 March.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Flood and coastal risk management investment takes place where the risk is highest, wherever it is across the country. Each scheme is carefully considered to target where it will benefit the most people and property.The Environment Agency (EA) uses a consistent set of criteria to prioritise funding for schemes proposed by all Risk Management Authorities which ensures a fair distribution of funding based on agreed priorities, principles and needs.The EA is unable to allocate Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant-in-Aid to Catchment Partnerships as they are not a Risk Management Authority.Instead, the EA works closely with Catchment Partnerships through the Government's £15 million Natural Flood Management (NFM) pilot programme (which will end in March 2021), alongside communities, land managers, and coastal groups around England. The EA will continue to work with Catchment Partnerships after the end of the NFM pilot programme on the use of nature-based solutions.Although capital funding for flood and coastal risk management is only available to Risk Management Authorities, EA teams routinely work with Catchment Partnerships on projects with other funding sources which provide environmental benefits and help to manage water in catchments.Regional flood and coastal committees (RFCCs) provide a link between flood risk management authorities and other relevant bodies, like local Catchment Partnerships, to develop mutual understanding of risks in their regions.In addition to sharing best practice between partners, RFCCs have a key role advising on and approving the implementation of programmes of work for their areas, and supporting the development of funding for local priority projects and works through local levy.

Flood Control: Finance

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the £5.2billion investment in flood and coastal defence programmes, announced in the Budget on 11 March, they estimatewill be allocated (1) to flood defences, and (2) to coastal defences.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The £5.2 billion flood and coastal defence programme is due to start from April 2021 and is currently being developed. It is estimated that investment in flood schemes will be around 65% for inland flood defences and 35% for coastal defences.

Coastal Erosion: Housing

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of homes that will be threatened by coastal erosion in England and Wales if further coastal defence measures (1) are, and (2) are not, implemented.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The National Coastal Erosion Risk Map indicates that about 2,000 properties are at risk from loss to coastal erosion in England by 2060 assuming current Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) policies are implemented. By the 2030s around 5,000 properties could be at risk from coastal erosion if SMPs are not implemented, rising to 28,000 properties by the 2060s (based on high emissions scenarios from UKCP09). SMPs are long term non-statutory plans intended to inform wider strategic planning by local authorities. They identify a sustainable management approach for each stretch of coastline. The Government is already investing £1.2 billion in coastal erosion and sea flooding schemes better protecting around 200,000 homes by 2021. This investment is part of the 6 year capital investment programme to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding, coastal erosion and sea level rise.

Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate the Silecroft to Silverdale section of the England Coast Path, referenced in the Natural England North West stretch update on 7 October, will be completed; and whether there are any outstanding planning issues that remain to be resolved on the route.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The proposals for the first part of this stretch of the England Coast Path were approved on the 12th November 2020; the remaining five reports covering this stretch currently sit with the Planning Inspectorate, for determination of objections that have been submitted. Natural England is not able to confirm when all such objections might be determined and when a decision by the Secretary of State might be made. Only after a decision has been published in relation to each of the six individual reports in question can Natural England, and the relevant access authority, begin the process of establishing the approved route in relation to any individual report. Given the length of this stretch, and the complexity of the required establishment works, we might expect the establishment stage to take some time to complete. We hope to see the stretch open to walkers by late 2022, at the earliest. There may be some planning consents required in relation to the establishment works on this stretch, which will be a matter for Cumbria County Council, as access authority, to pursue with the relevant planning authority. We would not, however, anticipate that such requirements would be contentious or delaying.

Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they estimate the completion of the Silecroft to Silverdale section of the England Coast Path, referenced in the Natural England North West stretch update on 7 October, will cost; how much of that cost has already been allocated; and from what sources.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Natural England’s estimates for the costs of establishing this stretch are summarised within the individual published reports relating to the stretch. These total £2,106,819 (exclusive of any VAT payable). Subject to budgets, establishment costs will be met entirely by Natural England, via grants to Cumbria County Council (as access authority responsible for completing the works). Allocation of budget and grant provision would follow the approval of Natural England’s proposals by the Secretary of State.

Home Office

Public Order Act 1986

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal included in the report by the Law Commission Hate crime laws: A consultation paper, published on 23 September, to remove the dwelling exception from section 18 of the Public Order Act 1986; whether they intend to take steps to ensure that freedom of speech is upheld regardless of any changes arising as a result of that consultation; if not, why not; and what discussions the have had with the Law Commission about that proposal.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. The Law Commission’s consultation closes on the 24th December and we encourage those with an interest to share their views.We will consider the review’s recommendations and respond once it is complete.

Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes

Baroness Sanderson of Welton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct an interim review of the findings of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner's review into community-based services before the Domestic Abuse Bill is considered in the House of Lords.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Domestic Abuse Bill includes a new statutory duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children within safe accommodation. These provisions have been designed in the light of extensive consultation and analysis about how to address the gaps in current provision.We fully recognise the vital role played by community-based support services in helping victims of domestic abuse and their children to rebuild their lives. However, until we have undertaken a similar analytical exercise in relation to community-based support services, we believe it would be premature to legislate in this Bill.A key part of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s role will be to monitor and oversee domestic abuse services nationally, and to support this she will undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape. While the initial scoping work is expected to be completed this financial year, the work on mapping the provision of community-based services across the country is expected to conclude by the end of 2021. The Government will then work with the Commissioner to understand the needs identified and develop options on how best to address them.

Refugees: Resettlement

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they are not planning to restart the refugee resettlementschemes until early 2021.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have been working closely with key domestic and international stakeholders on plans to safely resume UK resettlement arrivals against the backdrop of unprecedented restrictions and pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.As a result of this work, and as announced by Baroness Williams of Trafford in the House of Lords on 9 November the UK will shortly restart UK resettlement arrivals to fulfil our commitment of resettling 20,000 refugees affected by the conflict in Syria under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and we are working closely with partners to deliver this.Due to the lead times for refugee arrivals it is likely that we will see most refugees start to arrive early in the new year.

Refugees: Resettlement

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 28 October (HL9221), wthat plans they have to ensure that once the refugee resettlement schemes are resumed, the commitment to resettle 20,000 vulnerable refugees through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme will be fulfilled, in addition to the new Global Resettlement Scheme commitment of 5,000 per year.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 28 October (HL9221), what assessment they have made of the impact that the suspension of the refugee resettlement schemes has had on (1) local authorities, and (2) the (a) financial sustainability, and (b) long-term capacity, of other refugee resettlement service providers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have been working closely with key domestic and international stakeholders on plans to safely resume UK resettlement arrivals against the backdrop of unprecedented restrictions and pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.As a result of this work, and as announced by Baroness Williams of Trafford in the House of Lords on 9 November, the UK will shortly restart UK resettlement arrivals to fulfil our commitment of resettling 20,000 refugees affected by the conflict in Syria under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and we are working closely with partners to deliver this commitment.Due to the lead times for refugee arrivals, it is likely that we will see most refugees start to arrive early in the new year.Decisions regarding resettlement beyond the completion of this scheme are yet to be made and will need to take account of the impact of COVID-19 and the ongoing pressures on the asylum system. We have committed to a review of safe and legal routes to the UK. We are aware that the pause in resettlement has had an impact on our resettlement partners and will continue to work with them as future plans are developed.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Non-domestic Rates

Baroness Pinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to delay proposals to allow local authorities to keep 75 per cent of business rates income until the Treasury’s fundamental review of business rates has reported.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government has?confirmed that 75 per cent business rates retention will not be implemented in 2021-22.??This decision was taken to allow both the Government and councils to focus on meeting the immediate public health challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.Looking beyond 2021-22, in determining the next steps, we will need to consider the impact the pandemic has had on both the demand for public services across councils, and their access to local resources. This will also require a careful consideration of the link between the fundamental review of business rates and the future of the business rates retention policy.We will set out the timetable for our proposed way forward in due course.

Cabinet Office

European Commission: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers will be exercised by the European Commission in Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period of the UK's departure from the EU; and within what legal framework any such powers will be exercised.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government to which courts any citizen or business in Northern Ireland may apply for relief if they disagree with a European Commission decision in Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU; and whether the relevant courts will refer to UK or EU law.

Lord True: Further to my answer to PQ HL9634, all rules applied in Northern Ireland will be administered by the UK authorities.As the Government set out in its Command Paper in May, the Northern Ireland Protocol applies a small subset of EU rules concerning goods and electricity markets for so long as the people of Northern Ireland vote to keep such arrangements in place.Furthermore, in the case of any breach related to the Protocol the UK Government would always activate the appropriate formal dispute settlement mechanisms established under the Protocol in order to seek an appropriate solution.Otherwise, the rules that apply to businesses and citizens in Northern Ireland derive from UK law, including rules given effect by EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The rules on how to interpret rules given effect by retained EU law, which the courts must follow, are set out in section 6 of the EU Withdrawal Act. The 2018 Act also provides for the dedicated mechanism, which also protects citizens in NI from any diminution of their human rights as a result of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Hikvision

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Barran on 10 November (HL9675), what guidance they have provided to local councils and NHS Trusts on the use of Pyronix-Hikvision technology in UK infrastructure.

Baroness Barran: HMG has issued no specific guidance on the use of Pyronix-Hikvision technology. Hikvision provides surveillance systems which are digital and non-digital, and their cameras can be used for a range of environments and purposes. When using such equipment, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts should take general NCSC guidance on cyber security into account, in particular its guidance on secure design principles, devices and supply chain security.

Loneliness: Coronavirus

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase funding to alleviate loneliness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has provided £23 million to over 1100 charities who undertake activities that tackle loneliness. This has been awarded as part of the government’s £750 million charity funding package. The funding has supported national charities, including MIND, Sense, the English Football League Trust and also local organisations tackling loneliness through community-based interventions.We will launch a further £4 million fund shortly, together with the National Lottery Community Fund, targeted at small local charities and grassroots groups. There will be two application rounds next year, with local groups able to apply for up to £2 500 each through this fund.

Gambling: Advertising

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their plans to ban advertisements that promote unhealthy lifestyles will be extended to gambling advertisements.

Baroness Barran: In the Tackling Obesity strategy published in July, government announced its intention to introduce a 9pm watershed on TV and online for advertising products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). This strategy also said we wanted to go further online. Therefore on Tuesday 10th November, government published a new consultation on its proposal for a total online restriction in HFSS advertising. We have been clear that during the media our children use the most, we want to ensure the food and drink advertised promotes a healthy balanced diet. This is particularly important because obesity is one of the biggest health crises the country faces, with 1 in 3 children leaving primary school overweight or obese.The government has committed to review the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.